244 GUN, RIFLE, AND HOUND. 



he did and ran into a network of sandy nullahs, where 

 scent failed altogether. After thirty-five minutes' work 

 this was rather hard on hounds. I crossed the road 

 and found again at five minutes before eight. 

 Although, or perhaps because, the sun had got 

 stronger, scent had improved. Hounds ran from 

 scent to view and rolled him over at half-past eight. I 

 may here remark that I had often afterwards cause to 

 notice that scent in India generally improves as the 

 sun gets hotter, for which reason I always found that 

 my best runs took place in the afternoon, after the 

 ground had been exposed to the scorching rays. 



The 26th of October was a bitter cold morning. 

 I was in the saddle before daylight, and had to wait 

 some time till I could see to draw. Consequently I 

 experienced the extraordinary sensation (for India) of 

 feeling my hands quite numb with cold, though I had 

 gloves on. Scent was bad, and though they found 

 twice we had no run. This day was only noteworthy 

 as being that on which I killed my only fox. I 

 happened to see the fox a desert one crossing the 

 plain a couple of hundred yards away, and galloped on 

 till hounds got a view. They never lost sight of 

 him, and in some ten minutes killed him. 



Four days later came "the run of the season." 

 After several blank draws I put hounds into a large 

 cotton-field, and almost before they spoke to him a 

 jackal went away at the far side. Hounds came to my 

 horn and went away at a great pace, so much so that 

 I had to push my Arab along to live with them. The 

 slower hounds tailed shamefully, but there was nobody 



